Dear friends and fellow adventurers,
I receive many a request to send advice for people traveling to Mexico. What to see & do, going off the beaten track, special experiences and such. To make this easier, I have compiled some of my suggestions below. Bear in mind, I am a road trip kinda gal and love to explore hidden corners and find sublime gems that may not be on usual touristical routes, so map out beforehand. (Pardon the shorthand nature of this post vs my other articles but I reckon this is useful as a barebones travel guide).
Other places I can speak to that aren’t listed below – Chihuahua and Barrancas del Cobre, Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita, Careyes, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Veracruz (check out Azucar hotel), Mar de Cortez, Wirikuta, Real de Catorce, and Puebla. Write to me with any Qs.
Mexico City
My super duper 2018 Travel Guide
Neighbourhood Walking Guide // Juarez-Monocle-Walking-Guide
Yucatan and Quintana Roo
Option 1
Fly to Chetumal from Mexico City (on the border with Belize) and then stay at the Bacalar Lagoon. It’s insanely beautiful. I recommend staying at Hotel Akalki or Casa Lamat, and definitely renting a car. The beauty here is that you can also cross into Belize for the day and go scuba diving
Drive to the Calakmul pyramids the next day, around 4h drive. This is possibly one of my top Mexican experiences and hands down my favorite pyramids in Mexico (if one can get away with such an absurd statement). The closest you’ll ever get to feeling like Indiana Jones. Untouched and almost no tourists compared to other sites. I stayed at a very basic campsite here called Valentin Natural – there are some other more luxurious options that I can’t vouch for personally; the closest town from the pyramids is Xpujil and it ain’t great, but you’re here for the Mayans not the towns.
Option 2
Fly to Cancun and drive to Holbox – A tiny island with crystal waters, white sand beaches, no cars. Heaven and bohemian. I stayed at Hotel Casa Takywara which was perfect and so much attention to detail. Great place to disconnect, rent a bike, eat, read, sleep, and take in the silence.
Option 3
Fly into Merida from Mexico City and stay for a night in Casa Lecanda, the Chable Resort (expensive), or any of the Haciendas like Temozon or Uayamon ( I prefer Uyamon).
Then drive to Valladolid via Ixmal, and spend a night at Coqui Coqui.
You could also stay in the Coqui Coqui in Coba.
Continue onto Tulum. In Tulum there are many hotels and they’re all quite similar. I always went more rustic and ‘eco’ there, but Be Tulum is a good modern option with a great location on the beach. Anything near this stretch of beach is my preferred area of Tulum.
Other hotels – El Chiringuito; Delek: Casa Violeta; Hotel Manglar; Nomade (more expensive but amazing design); Nativus for glamping (Note to self: check out Casa de las Olas)
Food: The Real Coconut for breakfast and healthy lunch, Be Tulum for any meal of the day (lovely for breakfast on the beach), Nomade for any meal (expensive but cool), Loyal Order (Turkish and Med), Chiringuito for peaceful and beauty day vibes, Ahau for healthy vegetarian and its Raw Love bar on the beach, Charlie’s Vegan Tacos by Nomade, Ka’an inside Sian Ka’an (a must), Tropica in town…
Dinner: Posada Margarita, Hartwood, Arca, Casa Jaguar
Drinks – Casa Jaguar, Gitano Bar, Papaya Playa (bigger party), the bars in town on the main strip.
Drive through the Siian Kaan nature reserve – and if adventurous camp/sleep near the Punta Allen fishing village (3 h drive one way). Heaven on Earth. Go swim in the cenote at Nautivus.
If you still have time from Tulum I highly recommend you spend a night in the Bacalar Lagoon and check out Option 1 above.
Chiapas
Option 1
Fly to Palenque. Stay either in Casa Fuga or Piedra de Agua (I have both these contacts), and visit the Palenque ruins (I can help you with a guide). Have dinner in Don Muchos, bohemian backpacker bar.
Then head south, stopping by the Roberto Barrios waterfalls for some frolicking.
Go spend the night and a day or two around the lake of Metzabok (again, I’ll hook you up with the community) where you can camp on pyramids and lose yourself in the jungle.
From there go to Yaxchilan ruins on the Guatemalan border and spend the night in Lacanja Top Che with the Lacandon Mayans. Further south, you enter the Montes Azules Nature Reserve where you can stay at Las Guacamayas or some cabañas above the Lacantun river.
Some inspiration from my travels here: Photo Diary
Option 2
Fly to Tuxtla Guttierez and stay in San Cristobal de las Casas.
Here you can visit:
-Na Bolom – institution and hotel
-Museo textil – Sna Jolobil
-Walk around el Andador de Guadalupe (many stores)
-El camino de los altos
-Raku store (same building)
-Ex Convento Santo domingo
– San Juan Chamula Church is a must
Eat
Tierra y cielo – http://www.tierraycielo.com.mx/
La Folie Douge
Hotel Bo – cena , comer desayunar
Hotel paraiso
Frontera- breakfast
Pierre
Casa Del pan- vegetarian, lunch
Oh la la pastry
Bar Revolución for live music
Baja California Road Trip
This can be done in around 9-10 days comfortably. Camping, exploring. The roads are extraordinary and in general the region is incredibly safe.
Here is my map. And a visual account of some of this journey for inspiration.
My itinerary was:
Land in Tijuana
Head to Valle de Guadalupe
Eat: Deckmans and Corazon de Tierra
Drink: Sol y barro winery / Tres mujeres
Stay: Hotel Cuatro Cuartos, Campera hotel
Drive to Ensenada (30 min)
San Pedro Mártir Park, camp! (2h)
Drive to Catavina and explore the lunar landscape
Bahia de los Angeles – stunning campsite
Reserva de la Biosfera El Vizcaíno – San Ignacio town oasis, the stop off point for the pinturas rupestres (4h
Bahia Concepcion beaches, Playa Requesson (camping)
Drive to Loreto – on way stopping off at Santa Rosalia French inspired town, Mulege, and Laguna San Ignacio
La Duna eco resort – (hippie style) on way to La Paz
Scuba in Loreto and stay in La Paz
Todos Santos surfing town
Stay: San Cristobal, Acre Baja, https://www.paraderohotels.com/, https://elperdido.mx/?jacales
Fly out Cabo
Oaxaca (Coast)
Ocean frolicks at Puerto Escondido, Mazunte and Zipolite
Stay:
Playa Viva Eco Resort
Hotel Escondido // Puerto Escondido
Oaxaca (City and Surroundings)
http://www.oaxifornia.org/
http://www.exhaciendaguadalupe.com/
http://unitierraoax.org/
Visitar en el centro de Oaxaca
Centro Artes Gráficas (Macedonio Alcalá No 507)
Sto Domingo: Iglesia (cierra de 1pm a 4pm), Convento/Museo
Centro Fotográfico Manuel Alvarez Bravo (M. Bravo 116 esq García Vigil)
Tienda Q (sobre M. Bravo a media cuadra de Alcalá)
Jardín Etnobotánico Sto Domingo (entrada por calle Reforma esq Constitución). Sólo puedes entrar con visita guiada a las 10AM, 12PM o 5PM.
Museo Arte Contemporáneo Oaxaca MACO (M. Alcalá 202)
Ex Convento de San Pablo (independencia a media cuadra del teatro) renovado por Mauricio Rocha
Museo Textil (Hidalgo 917)
Museo de la Filiatela (Reforma 504)
Galería/taller La Telaraña (de Alejandro Santiago, fuera del centro de Oax)
La Calera (a 10 min del centro, taller de artistas)
Breakfast
Cafe los cuiles
Itanoni – pre colombian corn based menu
Chepiche cafe
Ancestral cocina tradicional
Boulenc
Lunch and dinner
Teocintle
Santa hierba jalatlaco
Tierra del sol rooftop
Pitiona
Selva oaxaca cocktail bar
Hierba Dulce
Dinner at archivo maguey
Levadura de olla for great traditional
Out of town book farm to table at Aguamiel
Restaurante Alfonsina for dinner date outside of town
El Origen (Hidalgo)
La Popular – local spot
Casa Oaxaca
Las Tlayudas de los Libres (después de las 10PM) ***
Drink
Atardecer en la terraza de Casa Crespo (Allende 107)
Mezcalería los amantes – vayan medio tempra xq si está lleno y no te conocen no te deja entrar),
Mezcaloteca (cierra 10PM) – Reforma 506, Oaxaca,
Cafe central – Alternative-y bohemian bar with live music sometimes. Owned by local artist. (Hidalgo 302) para ir todas las noches, es lo máximo. Afuera se pone un puesto de taquitos y consome de barbacoa que te mueres!
Txalaparta- restaurant/bar that turns into a place to go out. More of a mix of intl and local crowds but all types of music.
Candela- very Latin dancing kind of place but a local spot
El Olivo- Cocktail bar
La Contra – mezcal
Archivo Maguey – mezcal
Casa Estambul – mezcal
Markets
Mercado 20 de Noviembre (pedir la torta de chorizo con quesillo en puesto de Angelita)
Mercado de San Juan de Dios
Mercado Benito Juárez
Mercado de la Merced – Busca las casetas 13 y 14: Chiles y semillas Flores Botanas Diflor y pide los cacahuates con ajos y chiles de arbol, y Fonda La Florecita
Mercado sanchez pascua – small market with tamales and angelita juice bar
Other towns
On way to Oaxaca from DF
Convento e iglesia de Yanhuitlán, Teposcolula (San Juan y San Pedro) y Coixtlahuaca
Santa Cruz Xoxocotlan – Para dia de muertos
Tlacochahuaya – for a private concert in the church with the oldest organ in Latam
Tlacolula to the Sunday indigenous market and source local products (eat at La palapa de raul (camino a tlacolula))
Toledo art school and artist residency
Monte Alban – archeological site
Hierve el Agua
Teposcolula
Mitla y Yagul (ruinas) – para mi el paisaje y las ruinas son increíbles.
Teotitlan del Valle (Comer en Tlamanalli, muy caro ***)
Ocotlan
Zaachila
Cuilapam
Coyotepec
Santa María Atzomp (barro)
Santo Tomás Jalieza (textiles)
Arrazola (alebrijes)
San Juan Chilateca (bordados)
San martín Telcajete, cerca de Ocotlán, para artesanías de madera